Wolverine's hunt for Mystique comes to its brutal conclusion; Prof. Xavier's quest for his memories brings his childhood to the forefront
By Tomer Soiker
Posted 5/14/2008
PREVIOUSLY IN THE X-BOOKS:
Recently the X-Men fought a protracted battle to save the life of the newest mutant baby. To shield the child from those who would do her harm, the mysterious mutant Cable traveled with her into the timestream. Afterward, the rogue X-Man Bishop�who sought to kill the baby and prevent his hellish future from becoming reality�shot Professor Xavier in the head. With their founder and mentor gone, and his dream seemingly dead with him, Cyclops announced that the X-Men are no more.
Meanwhile, Cyclops ordered Wolverine to lead a new X-Force team and take down threats in black-ops missions. Threat number one: the Purifiers�a group of religious anarchists founded by Reverend William Stryker. During their missions the team lost former Morlock Caliban and the Starjammer Hepzibah was severely injured.
Jamie Madrox's X-Factor�his team of investigators and the guardians of Mutant Town�lost young Layla Miller 80 years in the future, where she was left during a mission with one of Jamie's dupes. With the departure of Wolfsbane�who joined X-Force�the team's fate is unclear.
The former member and leader of terrorist group known as the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, Mystique, joined the X-Men. Eventually she betrayed them and joined Mister Sinister and his Marauders. During the final battle for the Messiah she disappeared, unpunished for her crimes.
Wolverine #65 Written by Jason Aaron Art by Ron Garney
Recently in Wolverine: Following the events of Messiah Complex, Wolverine was tasked by Cyclops to hunt down and take out the shape-shifting mutant, Mystique, by any means necessary. Wolverine was eager to take up the hunt, not just because of Mystique�s recent betrayal of the X-Men, but also because of a history the two share. The duo attempted a bank robbery in Kansas City that turned out to be a setup. In the present day, Mystique's through running and is holed up in the Middle East with a cache of weapons�waiting for Wolverine.
What happened:
• Kansas City, 1921: The police halt Raven's gang's bank heist. They kill all the gang members during a gunfight, except for Mystique�who just disappeared�and Logan�the only one left standing when he's surrounded by cops.
• The present, Iraq: Mystique's stolen truck is standing in the middle of nowhere, waiting for Wolverine. He's nearby, crawling on the ground toward the truck.
• A sniper shot hits Wolverine's shoulder and the following shots propel him toward a land mine. It explodes in his face and Mystique keeps on shooting and throwing explosives at him.
• Wolverine�burnt and wounded�jumps at Mystique and now it's a face-to-face battle. Usually Mystique would shapeshift into someone else to play with Logan, but this time she's ready to fight for real�and to the death!
• After a bloody skirmish, the battle stops. Mystique says that Wolverine is chasing her because, unlike him, she could never really become part of the X-Men. She always used them or someone else and in the end betrayed them, just like Wolverine will do someday.
• Wolverine attacks her with drawn claws, but when he stabs Mystique she shoots him in the cranium. They both fall unconscious to the ground.
• 1921: The chief of police reveals that Logan was the mole in the gang. He gives Logan stolen money for his effort and sends him away. He's not happy as he walks by his "friends" dead bodies and knows that Raven got away.
• Elsewhere and later but still in the past, Logan jumps on a train. Raven's in the same car. She says she's not angry that he sold out her people and Logan accuses her of playing with him ever since they met in Mexico. She planned everything. Mystique says that they may cross paths in the future and she's willing to forgive Logan if he'll do the same. When he turns his back, Raven kicks him out of the train.
• Present day: Wolverine slowly heals from being brain dead, caused by Mystique's bullet. When he wakes up, she's gone. He follows a trail of blood to find the Mystique and picks up her gun.
• Wolverine tells Mystique that everything he's doing is paying for his crimes and mistakes in the past, while she just keeps on making the same mistakes. He drops the gun on the ground and before going away says that he's going to call one of his many friends while Mystique will bleed to death, lonely in the Iraqi desert. Logan also tells her that in her final moments she should think about what she has done with her life. Mystique asks Logan why he dropped her pistol on the ground near her. He explains that as she slowly bleeds to death in the hot, desert sun that she'll figure it out. He walks toward the sunrise as Raven's (possibly) final screams accompany him.
In the name of the law
They could always claim in court that Soapy's sixth finger on each hand was a dangerous weapon.
Human target
Again and again, Wolverine plays the role of human target. How come the military never thought of hiring him on to save money?!
A Series of Uncensored Blood-splatters
Aaron and Garney crafted this awesome page of slashes and stabbings. The amount of blood could support a family of vampires for a week.
The traitor
One of Logan's past mistakes haunts him, especially since Raven's gang members were killed for nothing.
Die, die, die my darling
Wolverine leaves Mystique to bleed to death in the desert (don't worry, he left her a gun if she wants to bail out early) and as the song promises�they will meet again in Hell.
